What Is Gluten Allergy?
Gluten allergies are common reactions to wheat flour, but symptoms vary from person to person. Gluten consumption affects the nature and severity of symptoms. Any age can be affected by the disease.
Many people have obvious gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, or constipation (infrequent or difficult bowel movements). There are also patients with nonspecific and vague symptoms, which can be confused with other gastrointestinal conditions such as Crohn's disease or a digestive infection. Then some show no symptoms at all.
Gluten Allergy vs Coeliac Disease: What's the Difference?
Among the significant differences between the two conditions is that celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system develops antibodies against the intestinal mucosa in response to gluten. The immune system produces immune substances against glutenin, a component of gluten that causes gluten allergy. Gluten allergy symptoms are milder than those of coeliac disease. Furthermore, coeliac disease is permanent, whereas a gluten allergy can occur during a person's life.
Gluten Allergy vs Coeliac Disease: Key Differences
| Feature | Gluten Allergy | Coeliac Disease |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | Immune response to gluten | Autoimmune reaction to gluten |
| Onset | Can develop at any age | Often hereditary, triggered early in life |
| Severity | Milder, temporary symptoms | Permanent damage to the small intestine |
| Diagnosis | Elimination-provocation test | Biopsy or antibody blood test |
| Treatment | Gluten-free diet | Strict lifelong gluten-free diet |
| Symptoms | GI issues, fatigue, headaches | GI symptoms, malabsorption, long-term health risk |
What Exactly Is Gluten?
The first step to understanding gluten allergy symptoms is understanding what gluten is and what reaction it causes in the intestines.
Several grains naturally contain gluten, including rye, wheat, barley, bulgur, spelt, Khorasan wheat, and most wild oats. It is also found in cereal grains, bread, breakfast cereals, crackers, ready-made breakfast drinks, pasta, pizza, couscous, pastry, cake, and cookies. You can also find gluten in foods you wouldn't expect, such as breaded coatings, marinated or seasoned fish, meat and meat substitutes, cream-based sauces and soups, ice cream, candy, and beer.
How Does the Body React to Gluten?
Gluten causes inflammatory reactions in the mucous membrane of the small intestine in people with gluten allergies. As a result, the intestinal mucosa is damaged, preventing the small intestine from functioning normally. Diarrhoea, constipation, and abdominal pain are the most common symptoms.
The damage to the small intestine can eventually cause malabsorption of essential nutrients, resulting in vitamin and mineral deficiencies and weight loss. The result can be various physical health problems, such as iron deficiency anaemia, which causes fatigue. Growth retardation can be caused by gluten allergy in children.
12 Common Symptoms of Gluten Allergy
Gluten allergy can cause different symptoms in different people. There are several common symptoms, including:
- Bloating
- An abdominal pain
- Loose stools, diarrhoea
- Having constipation
- Stool with a foul smell
- Pale stool
- Having flatulence
- Appetite loss
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Children's irritability
- White, yellow, or brown stains on the teeth are examples of tooth discolouration.
Without nutritional support, a gluten allergy can lead to several other symptoms.
Gluten allergy can have the following long-term effects:
- The anaemia
- Loss of weight
- Nutritional deficiency
- Children with growth retardation
- Delayed puberty
- The condition of osteoporosis (a decrease in the strength and density of the bones)
- Eczema, itching
- Inability to think clearly due to depression
- Menstrual cycle disruption (amenorrhoea)
- Pregnancy bleeding and spotting
- Problems with fertility
- Pregnancy loss
How to Relieve Gluten Allergy Symptoms
A doctor should be consulted if you think you have a gluten allergy. It is the only way to treat and control those uncomfortable and potentially harmful symptoms. Additionally, it prevents further damage to the small intestine.
How Is Gluten Allergy Diagnosed?
Gluten allergies cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone. An elimination-provocation test can determine whether you have a gluten allergy. To check for symptoms, remove gluten from your diet and reintroduce it. A diagnosis can be made if the symptoms disappear during the first phase (elimination) and return during the second phase (provocation).
How Is Coeliac Disease Diagnosed?
A small intestine biopsy is the only way to diagnose coeliac disease. Under a microscope, a small piece of tissue from the small intestine is examined. A blood test is another method, but it could be more reliable. This method tests antibodies that attack the body's intestinal cells.
Managing Gluten Allergy: Diet & Lifestyle
Gluten allergies cannot be cured, but most people find relief from symptoms by following a gluten-free diet. Removing all gluten from your diet will often alleviate symptoms within a few weeks.
Why You Should See a Dietitian
Gluten is found in many foods that are common in many diets, making switching to a gluten-free diet difficult. A dietitian should be consulted once a diagnosis has been made.
List of Gluten-Free Foods and Products
Here are some gluten-free products to get you started:
- Foods labelled gluten-free.
- A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Meat, fish, shellfish, and vegetarian products that have not been processed.
- Cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese.
- Butter and oil.
- Rice noodles, quinoa, brown rice, and potatoes.
- White and kidney beans, lentils, and soybeans are legumes.
- The amaranth, corn, millet, sorghum, and teff.
- Herbs (single or fresh) can be fresh or dried.
- Peanuts, nuts, seeds, and kernels.
- Wine
- Olive.
In recent decades, the range of gluten-free products has grown exponentially. Take, for instance, gluten-free bread and cookies, gluten-free pasta, and gluten-free beer.
If you are suffering from Gluten Allergy and need guidance from a medical professional, then you can use Mobi Doctor. You can find a doctor online to discuss your symptoms and get the medical help you need.
What Mobi Doctor Can Do For You
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Mobi Doctor is a virtual clinic that provides online consultations and 24/7 support for people with health problems. You can talk to our experts about any health problem, whether an infection, an injury, or a mental health issue. We offer tailored advice and support from our team of doctors and experts.
